Episode 1: Falling into the Well

Captain Davidson gazed out the flyer's viewport. The small craft was surrouned by the red and black of hyperspace. In hyperspace no one can tell which direction they are headed by looking outside a viewport. It's an ever changing scene of harsh colored clouds moving this way and that. But everyone is aware, on some level, that they can only be travelling in one direction and for only one purpose. Forward, to meet one's destiny. Davidson subtly shifted in his seat unbeknowst to anyone else in the craft. He was moving forward, and he was going to meet his destiny out there.

The pilots of the flyer asked Davidson for permission to jump. He proptly gave the order to jump. A red swirl began to grow and reached out towards them. As they moved within, they began to accelerate at a rapid pace. A flash of light briefly illuminated the interior and Davidson could almost swear he saw the shadows dancing along the walls. The light was gone and they deccelerated out of the blue swirl from which they emerged. The pilots began a course correction, turning the small craft to face the Grey Star. Davidson finally gazed upon his destiny.

"Are you sure we sould do this?" Sheridan asked Delenn.

"John, we must. It means sacrafice, but you know we have to look after this matter," Delen responded.

"Just when things were going our way, something like this creeps up on us."

Sheridan and Delenn were back on Babylon 5 debating on a course of action for the Grey Star. They were going to do it on Minbar of course, but got a little sidetracked by a message that came from an old friend in the Epsilon Eridanii Sector. The fate of history rests on pivital descisions with no clear direction of which way to proceed. There is the reasonable way and the way that requires an enormous amount of faith. Most sane people pick the reasonable way and are rewarded to certain degrees. Under unreasonable situations, reason can be useless and faith is all you can rely on.

Sheridan sighed, "I'll send the orders to the Grey Star. I wish I could be there."

"You are needed here" Delenn responded.

"I know." Sheridan then turned to face the the Stellar Com unit and spoke " Recognze President John J. Sheridan of the Interstellar Alliance."

"Recognized," the computer called out.

"Connect to the main ISA office on Minbar."

There was a pause. Then the computer called out, "Confirmed."

"Search all archives throughout the Interstellar Alliance regarding the ISAS Grey Star."

"Confirmed."

"Copy all information to the ISA President's confidential files."

"Confirmed."

Sheridan breathed in deeply as if had just been struck. Then began to speek again "Delete all records of the ISAS Grey Star with the exception of the ISA President's confidential files."

"Confirmed."

"I would have at least wished them luck, and said good-bye." Sheridan keyed in a code into the stellar com unit and paused. He gazed down at the send button, the fate of history rests on the pivital decisions...

"Sending Encrypted File," the computer announced. Sheridan had pressed the button, and the fate of 368 good people had been sealed.

"Welcome aboard captain!" The general said as Davidson walked out of the airlock. The general was in charge of a priliminary scan of the ship before it headed on its maiden voyage (as the newly christened Grey Star). They would probably be back after the existence of the Grey Star had been announced. Their first mission was to get the Grey Star to Minbar for the announcement. Preferably in one piece they had told Davidson. Flying prototypes were always tedious. Sometimes they would fall apart, and sometimes they would perform beyond the designers dreams. He hoped the Grey Star fit in the latter catagory more than it did the former.

"We have scanned most of the ship with the exception of the engine room. For some strange reason the scanners don't work properly in there. We'll look into it next time we are on board!" The general spoke.

Davidson remarked on how happy and loud the general was. It annoyed him. It annoyed him even more knowing that the general would be coming on board every once in a while.

"Well I'll be leaving you to your ship now! It was a pleasure to meet you captain! I'm sure we'll get along just fine."

"Yeah... I'm sure we'll get along just fine. Now if you step this way..." Davidson was cut off in midsentence.

"A personal escourt off your ship! Why thank you!"

"Umm..." Davidson began to look around and spotted a Minbari officer walking by and stopped him. "Actually, I am extremely busy right now."

"I understand completely! There's nothing to worry about, I take no offence whatsoever!" the general said.

"Yeah, well, he will show you to your transport." Davidson said as he gestured towards the Minbari. The general, with a big a smile as any looked at the Minbari. The Minbari looked at the captain and pleaded by nodding his head no.

"Well we should be on our way then! By the way what is your name?" the general spoke as they walked toward the transports. After a couple of steps the Minbari, assaulted by the good nature of the general, looked back towards the captain. Davidson could only mouth a sorry towards the Minbari crew member.

Davidson headed to his quarters carrying his lugage. It was light because uniforms and all standard material had already been brought aboard for him. He realized although there were many human beings onboard, none of them belonged to the Earth Alliance. All the crew members, with the exeption of the first officer and himself, are Rangers. This made him feel uneasy. There were many different races onboard the ship, many of which did not like each other, that he had to deal with.

"Captain!" a voice called out. Davidson looked back to see a human Ranger running up to him.

"Yes, can I help you?" Davidson asked.

"No, I'm just reporting in with you. I was supposed to give you an escourt." the Ranger responded. "Scott McLearn, reporting for duty."

"At ease, so... you were late reporting in with the captain. Not a good first impression."

"I got a bit sidetracked. Plus this ship is much larger than a White Star which I'm used to. If you'll follow me, I'll get you to your room."

"Actually, I think I'll get there on my own." Davidson said.

"But cap..."

"On my own. Thank you. Dismissed," Davidson ordered.

Scott responded, "Yessir, on your own." With that Scott left. Davidson took a few steps forward and realized that last remark was very unusual for an officer to say to his captain. He was going to have a rough time with this crew, he could tell right away. He made his way to his room and openned the door. It was fairly large, and not as spartan as the rooms he is used to on Earth Force ships. He sat on the bed an stared at the wall. It was a strange thing he did, he long ago tried to stop analyzing why. He just stared not thinking of anything. And when he stared just enough he would know. The blankness of the wall just got him relaxed, clearing his mind. He had always liked a bare wall. It comforted him to know that somethings weren't hidden behind distractions. He had stared at the wall long enough. He got up about to take a sonic shower when a message came in.

"Incoming message," the computer spoke.

"Put it through," the captain responded.

"Captain," a young Centauri woman appearred infront of him on the screen, "incoming message from President Sheridan. For your eyes only."

"Put it on this screen."

"Yessir," the Centauri woman said as she was replaced by lettering. Davidson wondered how it was posible for a female Centauri to be in the Rangers. He began to read the message. He summed up the message to this: New orders for the Grey Star. The Grey Star was to forgo the ceremonies at Minbar. Instead it is being ordered to proceed to sector 27 (In Earth Alliance space) where it will engage in scientific research of that area. They are to look for anomalies. If one is found, they are authorized to study and catelogue it. Once the mission is completed, the captain of the Grey Star will contact ISA headquarters on Minbar. Further orders will issued at that time. Mission is to be implemented upon arrival of this message.

They build this advanced ship and decide it should go look at some gas, Davidson thought to himself. Well, might as well begin somewhere. It was strange to have an order like this to be confidential. It seemed out of place.

"Davidson to Bridge," he called on his link. "Fire up the engines we'll be moving soon."

"We are supposed to stay here until tommorow aren't we?" the bridge officer said.

"New orders. I'll be up there in ten minutes. Davidson out." Mission implemeted upon arrival of the message, huh, he thought. I need a good sonic shower before any mission.

Davidson reached the bridge, fifteen minutes later, he thought no one would mind his tardiness, and sat in the captain's chair.

"Let's get this over with shall we?" Davidson spoke. He called on the computer to record and began his Oath to the Interstellar Alliance. It was somewhat long, but not that long. It took him two minutes to read it, and that was reading it as fast as possible. He hated making speeches, but was fairly good at them.

"Helmsmen," Davidson called out.

"Yessir," Scott answered.

"Take us to sector 27. I'll be in my quarters."

"Sir?" Scott said.

Davidson became annoyed, "One other thing, I will not tolerate having everything I say backed up with a question from anyone. Is that clear? Good. Now I'll be in my quarters" And he left the bridge.

He arrived back to his quarters and as soon as the door openned he spoke, "Computer, access Earth Alliance records. Authorization Davidson alpha two. Look up anything related to sector 27."

"Files found. survey mission 2241, system composition, construction of Psi Station Omega 2260, destruction of Psi Station Omega 2261..."

"Stop there. Give me the report on the destruction of Psi Station Omega."

"Error. Files clasified."

"Give me any information on Psi Station Omega."

"File found. Psi Corps research station, destroyed in 2261. End File."

Telepaths, Davidson thought, I hate telepaths. Davidson did some further research on sector 27 and found that the place was also the graveyard for three Omega class destroyers in 2256. It was quarintined in 2259. A strange place to build a Psi Corps research station. The system's is unintresting with it being a bunch of floating rocks. However it is also the grave yard for three Earth Alliance ships, no leads to the cause of the destruction, it is then quarintined three years later, for a classified reason, and a year later a Psi Corps station is built there only to be destroyed also. Results of search for a cause of the destruction are classified. Something was going on here and he didn't like it.

He decided to sleep on it, unlike most captains he could hit the sack before he had to do something important the next day. He took off his clothes and got into the bed. Tommorrow was to be his first challenge on board the Grey Star.

"So Lin how are you today?" Scott said resting on her counsel.

"Well I was fine until you showed up and decided to bug me, thank you very much," the Centauri female said.

"I'm hurt, after what we went through on White Star 8, you seem to be annoyed by my being here."

"Good deducton, now if you would stay at least ten feet back, I wont have to personally remove you from my sight."

"Ok, ok," and with that Scott moved back to his seat.

Davidson walked back into the bridge and sat down. "Scott ETA?" he said.

"We've got an hour to go still."

"Alright," Davidson paused, "I'm going to go against orders and tell you all where we're going." the bridge immediately looked at him. "We are on our way to conduct some scientific research. In itself, it's sounds like a mundane task. But the history of sector 27 is a liitle strange. It is the site for the destruction of 3 EA ships, put under quaritine and then a space station was built there only to vanish a year later. So since I've heard that Ranger's are listeners I was wondering if any heard anything about this place." The bridge crew felt silent. No one knew. This is either a very good sign or a very bad sign Davidson thought. "Hmm, has anyone seen the first officer?"

"I am here," a Minbari spoke up. He rose out of his seet and walked towards the captain.

"I'm captain William Davidson," he said as he reached out his hand.

The Minbari looked down at Davidson's hand, then looked back up and spoke. "I am Brenn of the 2nd Fane of Rensaka. I'm here to serve this ship. Nothing more, nothing less," Brenn walked back to his seat and continued to do what he was doing.

I wonder if anyone gets along on this ship? Davidson thought. He sat in silence for the most part, giving out mundane reports only when he had to for the next hour. He hated wiating for any amount of time, because it always feels like you've been waiting forever. Although he did notice Scott looking at Lin every once in a while and Lin looking back when he wasn't looking at her. Scott had feelings for her, that much was apparent, but he couldn't tell what the expression on Lin's face was.

"We've reached the coordinates captain," Scott declared

"Jump," Davidson responded. A red swirl appeared in front of the ship. The Grey Star moved in and was pulled back into normal space. The place was looked desolate, they were in the middle of the grave yard of Psi Staion Omega... "Lin, scan for debris," he spoke.

"Thre are a few asteroids and some microscopic dust in the area. Nothing else," Lin responded.

"How can that be? The space station was destroyed only two years ago?"

"I don't know... captain, we're picking up a disturbance 3000 km from here."

"Move us in, slowly, Scott."

"Yessir." Scott bgan to move the ship towards the disturbance. It looked like a strange glowing dot, a little larger than a star.

"Lin, anything?" Davidson asked.

"Disturbance has not been catagorized. Field emissions are off the chart. It has some similarities to a jump point." Lin looked at her controls and stared up, "Captain! It's moving directly for us!"

"Scott turn us around and get us the hell out of here, full speed!" Davidson called out.

"Already done!" Scott replied. The Grey Star turned around and flew off at maximum speed. "It's gaining on us!" Scott exclaimed.

"Engine room, give me all you can!" Davidson said into his link.

"Aye sir," the link chirped.

"Can we jump Scott?"

"Another 30 seconds! It's still gaining on us!"

The distortion was mking its way to the Grey Star. It was almost ontop of the ship when Scott called out, "Jump engines online!"

"Jump!" Davidson called out. A yellow swirl appeared infront of the Grey Star and enveloped it. They entered back into the confines of hyperspace.

"Lin, what kind of jump point runs after you?" Davidson asked.

"Captain!" Scott called out, "Jump point forming behind us!"

The disturbance had openned it's own jump point and continued after the Grey Star.

"Dear God..." Davidson said as the Grey Star was swallowed and the disturbance dissappeared.

What did you think? Tell me on my message board! http://network54.com/Hide/Forum/33586